Back to results
US 11,305,812 B2Granted
Traction control for steering articulated power machine
AssigneeClark Equipment Company
InventorsKevin J. Zent, Daniel J. Krieger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed embodiments include steering circuits utilizing a controllable cross-feed loop between left and right drive motor sides of an articulated power machine to reduce skidding caused by a turning operation in which an articulation actuator changes an articulation joint angle between a front frame member and a rear frame member of the power machine.
Claims14
An articulated power machine comprising:
- a front frame member;
- a rear frame member;
- an articulation joint rotatably coupling the front and rear frame members;
- an articulation angle actuator configured to turn the power machine by changing an articulation angle of the articulation joint;
- a hydraulic steering circuit comprising:
- a drive pump;
- left side drive motors coupled to the drive pump and configured to receive hydraulic fluid flow from the drive pump to rotate left side tractive elements;
- right side drive motors coupled to the drive pump and configured to receive hydraulic fluid flow from the drive pump to rotate right side tractive elements;
- and
- a cross-feed loop configured to selectively provide a fluid path from a connection between the left side drive motors to a connection between the right-side drive motors;
- and
- a steering control unit configured to control the articulation angle actuator to change the articulation angle of the articulation joint when a turning operation is underway, wherein the steering control unit is further configured to generate a control signal to control the fluid path through the cross-feed loop such that the fluid path through the cross-feed loop is provided only when controlling the articulation angle actuator to change the angle of the articulation joint during the turning operation, and not when a turning operation is not underway.
9 more elements
An articulated power machine comprising:
- a front frame member;
- a rear frame member;
- an articulation joint rotatably coupling the front and rear frame members;
- an articulation angle actuator configured to turn the power machine by changing an articulation angle of the articulation joint;
- a drive pump;
- left side drive motors coupled to the drive pump and configured in series with each other to receive hydraulic fluid flow from the drive pump to rotate left side tractive elements;
- right side drive motors coupled to the drive pump and configured in series with each other to receive hydraulic fluid flow from the drive pump to rotate right side tractive elements, the right side drive motors being coupled to the drive pump in parallel with the left side drive motors;
- a cross-feed loop including a control valve and selectively providing a fluid path from a connection between the left side drive motors to a connection between the right side drive motors and a restriction positioned between the connection between the left side drive motors and the connection between the right side drive motors;
- and
- a steering control unit in communication with a user controlled steering input and configured to control the articulation angle actuator to change the articulation angle of the articulation joint when a turning operation is underway, wherein the steering control unit is further configured to generate a control signal to control the control valve to provide the fluid path through the cross-feed loop in response to a signal received from the user controlled steering input when controlling the articulation angle actuator to change the angle of the articulation joint during the turning operation, the control valve blocking the fluid path through the cross-feed loop when a turning operation is not underway.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.